


truly, madly, deeply

by tatoeba



Series: sbsbs verse [3]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Polyamory, Romance, side kyungstal, side xinglu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-17 23:23:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13087611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatoeba/pseuds/tatoeba
Summary: All Baekhyun wants is to share Christmas with Jongdae and Minseok by his side.





	truly, madly, deeply

**Author's Note:**

> i wasn't planning on writing this tbh. i had a whole different set of little side stories for this verse that i started months ago, but i fell into a bit of angst regarding my writing the past few months and it was really hard clawing myself out of that. i just had to wait until it passed and in the end what i wanted to write more than anything else was cbx. but specifically this cbx. so here we are. **this is a sequel** of sorts to [side by side by side](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9204734). it's probably recommended you read that first, but i suppose you can go without. 
> 
> i wasn't expecting this fic, but just as much as i love sbsbs, i love this story too. i really hope you do as well;; 
> 
> i also hope you're all doing okay in light of the recent tragedy in the kpopsphere. stay strong everyone. we'll get through this. i hope this fic can make you smile if you're feeling down. ❤
> 
> thank u as always to bianca for looking this over and encouraging me ❤ and to 1d for the title lol

"I hate this time of year," says Kyungsoo as he grumpily falls into the chair across from Baekhyun, shaking the little dusting of snow out of his hair.

Baekhyun snickers, pushes the coffee he'd bought for Kyungsoo across the table. That smooths away some of the furrowed lines around his brows, and he graciously accepts the drink, taking a small sip. "You're such a grouch," Baekhyun teases. "It's Christmastime! How can you hate it?"

"It's cold," Kyungsoo says immediately. "And wet from the snow. There's Christmas music playing _everywhere_ and people are obnoxiously happy for a holiday that's, for all intents and purposes, now more of a celebration of capitalism than anything else." He squints at Baekhyun from behind his glasses and says, "I hate this time of year."

Baekhyun laughs a little louder this time. Ever since Baekhyun's known Kyungsoo, he's hated this time of year, and with every year that passes, it seems to only get worse. It's part of why Baekhyun enjoys calling him out to crowded coffee shops on Saturday afternoons, so he can enjoy Kyungsoo's disdainful glares in person.

"Well, you're gonna have to get into the holiday spirit because we're having a Christmas party and you're coming," Baekhyun says cheerfully. "And you're bringing Soojung. None of this is negotiable, by the way."

"That's how you invite someone to a party?" Kyungsoo scoffs, even though a corner of his lips is twitching into a smile. "You demand they have to come?"

"Yes," Baekhyun says, grinning. He laughs when Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. "Oh, come on, you haven't been over in ages. This is the first time I've seen you in person in like two months."

"It has not been that long," Kyungsoo says, a little placatingly. "And besides, I already got invited to your little party by Jongdae, like a week ago. You're late."

Baekhyun gasps, sputtering around his sip of hot chocolate. He sets his mug down and dabs at his mouth with a napkin and then exclaims, "What! When did you even talk to him?"

"I had lunch with him last week," Kyungsoo says with a shrug. "You probably forgot."

Now that he thinks about it, Baekhyun vaguely remembers Jongdae mentioning meeting with Kyungsoo recently, but still, none of their plans were even finalized until a few days ago. He shakes his head, even though he's secretly pleased that Jongdae invited Kyungsoo ahead of time. It means he's as excited as Baekhyun is, and Baekhyun can't be annoyed by that, even if Jongdae did steal a little of his thunder. "You and Jongdae have gotten too close," Baekhyun mutters instead. "You hang out with him over me!"

"He's less annoying than you," Kyungsoo says and Baekhyun pouts at him, grumpy.

"You're uninvited from the party now," he declares. "Only Soojung's allowed to come now."

Kyungsoo snorts. "I'll tell her you said so," he says.

"Good," Baekhyun says, right as his phone buzzes on the table with a message from Minseok. "If I see you there, I'll kick you out."

"No, you won't," Kyungsoo says knowingly. "Besides, Jongdae invited me first, so now I'm his guest." He grins with Baekhyun narrows his eyes at him. "I'm sure Minseok will happily let me stay too."

"The one downside to having two boyfriends," Baekhyun says, "is that I'm always outnumbered."

Kyungsoo laughs. "I think you like that," he says with a knowing little smirk. Baekhyun chooses not to answer, and instead checks his phone.

_so what presents are you getting us this year? i need to know to make sure my gift is better._

It makes Baekhyun grin. They've all been trying to trick the others into revealing their gift ideas, but Baekhyun is good at keeping secrets, especially when they matter, and he's not about to give Minseok or Jongdae any hints. He wants to see them open their presents on Christmas and lavish him with praise because he's the best boyfriend ever.

 _that's for me to know and u to find out :P_ he sends back.

Minseok's reply comes a few minutes later, as Kyungsoo explains how Soojung wants him to meet her parents over Christmas.

"Meeting the parents already, huh?" Baekhyun teases. "Aren't you two getting serious?"

Kyungsoo kicks him lightly under the table. "It's not a big deal," he says, like he's trying to convince himself and knows he's failing. "You haven't met either of your boyfriends' parents, either."

"Yeah, but I've talked to them," Baekhyun says, smiling as he swipes open his phone and pulls up Minseok's latest message. He remembers the first time he'd talked to Minseok's mother, one uneventful Saturday night when Minseok had come home from work.

"I need to shower, but you can talk to Baekhyun for awhile," Minseok had said, and passed the phone off before Baekhyun could protest.

Turns out Minseok's mother is as kind as her son, and she talked to Baekhyun for the entire twenty minutes it took Minseok to clean up, and even then, refused to end the call until Minseok had dragged his phone out of Baekhyun's hand.

"I like her," Baekhyun had said after, and Minseok had kissed him in response.

He'd met Jongdae's parents a week after, when Jongdae had been Skyping them on his laptop. A few days after that, Baekhyun's mother finally spoke to Minseok and Jongdae. It had lasted five minutes before Baekhyun had to wrestle the phone away so she wouldn't revealed his embarrassing childhood secrets.

It hadn't deterred her much though, and nowadays she seems to be more in contact with his boyfriends than she is with him. Baekhyun finds he doesn't mind. Instead, it makes his chest warm. It makes him happy.

"You'll be amazing," Baekhyun tells Kyungsoo, hoping to dispel some of the clear worry etched onto his face. "You're perfect meet-the-parents material, you know? Handsome, successful. You can even cook. You're the whole fucking package."

"Thanks," Kyungsoo says slowly, a little pink dusting his cheeks like he's not sure what to do with Baekhyun's praise. "I think." He rubs the back of his neck, then picks up his mug to take another sip of his coffee.

Baekhyun grins at him, then glances down at his phone again, reads Minseok's newest message.

_if i blow you when i get home, will you give me a hint?_

Cackling, Baekhyun types back, _nope. but ur welcome to try and see if it works anyway :D_

Minseok replies a few seconds later. _oh, i definitely well_ , it says, and ignites a flame of heat deep in Baekhyun's belly.

"Do I even want to know what that look on your face is about?" Kyungsoo asks as Baekhyun sends Minseok a bunch of eye emoji.

"Nope," Baekhyun says, flashing him a wide smile. He sets his phone down and picks up his hot chocolate as the music in the cafe changes from Baby, It's Cold Outside to Jingle Bells.

Kyungsoo groans loudly. Baekhyun laughs. He loves this time of year.

 

 

-

 

 

"Is Uncle JD gonna be there?"

Baekhyun laughs at his niece's predictable question. "Yes, of course he is," he tells her softly over the phone as he lugs himself up the last flight of stairs to his floor. He's been slacking at going to the gym lately because both Minseok and Jongdae have been busy. He's compensating by taking the stairs instead of the elevator even if his legs scream at him for it.

Tonight his arms ache too from holding onto bags of groceries he picked up on the way home. "Jongdae's excited to see you again, you know," he says to his niece as he manages to unlock the door to his apartment and stumble inside. "And Minseok, too. Don't forget about him."

"I didn't!" she yells back.

"Do you not want to see me too?" Baekhyun asks in his most pouty voice. His niece makes a sort of huffing noise as if she's considering deeply before she replies.

"I see you lots, Uncle Baek! And Uncle JD played T-rex fighting Elsa with me last time so he's my favorite!" she says and Baekhyun laughs.

"Oh, that's right," he says. "How can I ever beat that?"

"You can't," says Baekbeom, who must've been listening into their conversation. As Baekhyun steps further into the apartment, he's surprised to find Jongdae asleep on the couch. He remembers Jongdae mentioning something about a late night, but maybe he's gotten the days mixed up.

He tiptoes into the kitchen, careful not to disturb his boyfriend, and sets the plastic grocery bags onto the counter. "I know," Baekhyun replies into the phone. "I take _one_ nap instead of playing with her and now she's replaced me."

"She's just developed better taste," Baekbeom says and Baekhyun gasps in mock outrage. "I'd pick either of your boyfriends over you anyday."

"Yeah, well, I'd pick your wife over you, so. There."

They both laugh after a moment, and Baekhyun quickly lowers the sound of his so he doesn't wake Jongdae. He holds his phone in one hand, and uses the other to sort through the food he bought, carefully opening and closing the fridge door and cupboards to put everything away.

"Thanks for inviting us, by the way," Baekbeom says. "It works out pretty well, since we’ll be in the city for my sister-in-law’s Christmas thing that weekend too, so we should be able to swing by for awhile."

"Great," Baekhyun says, pleased that they can make it. He hasn't seen them since his niece's birthday in July, when Baekhyun had drove upstate with Minseok and Jongdae to visit and spend a weekend. "I'll text you all the details later. You better bring me a present."

Baekbeom laughs. "We'll see," is all he says before he hangs up, and Baekhyun sets the phone down onto the counter with a smile. He puts away the almond milk that Minseok prefers into the fridge, then makes room for the little red velvet cupcakes he'd bought on a whim because he knows both Jongdae and Minseok enjoy them. There's a few old boxes of takeout that Baekhyun's pretty sure are well past acceptable eating date, so he throws those out to make space. He staring into the fridge, assessing what they could have for dinner, when warm, familiar arms snake around his waist.

He smiles without even moving, enjoys the way Jongdae rubs his face against the back of Baekhyun's neck like a sleepy kitten. Baekhyun reaches around to pat his hip and says, "Have a good nap?"

Jongdae mumbles something indistinguishable into his skin and his breath tickles, makes Baekhyun squirm in his arms. Jongdae only squeezes him a little tighter, then finally lets go, stepping back. "You're letting all the cold air out," he says and gently pushes the fridge closed.

"I was trying to figure out what we should eat tonight," Baekhyun says, running a hand through his hair and grimacing a little. He hasn't washed his hair in a few days now, so he'll definitely have to later tonight. For now, though, he shuffles close to Jongdae, and wraps his arms around him, flutters his eyelashes until Jongdae laughs and gives him the kiss he seeks. Baekhyun grins, pleased, and chases after for a few more until he's satisfied.

He pulls back and lets his eyes sweep over Jongdae's face. He's got a little smile on his face, but his eyes are tired, dark circles beneath them due to some late nights. It's nearing the end of the semester and Jongdae's up to his ears in work, getting grades in and finalizing performances for his students. Baekhyun will be glad for the winter break, when Jongdae--and Minseok, who is similarly stressed by the semester ending--can finally unwind and look a little less like zombies.

"Are you okay?" Baekhyun asks Jongdae softly. "Maybe you should go back to sleep."

Jongdae makes a little humming noise but shakes his head. "Nah," he says. "You're home now, so I'd rather stay awake. Besides, who's gonna feed you if I go back to sleep?"

"Hey, I'm not a puppy," Baekhyun chides, even though he's not actually offended. "I could make something, I've gotten better in the kitchen!" And he has, over the past year the three of them have been together. Baekhyun can't believe it's been a year, and yet here he is, watching Jongdae move around his kitchen like it's his own, and well, it kind of is, isn't it?

"I'm just teasing," Jongdae says. "Why don't you go clean up and then we can make something? Have you heard from Minseok?"

"No," Baekhyun says, frowning as he picks up his phone and doesn't find any messages. "He said he'd let us know if he was gonna be home for dinner or not."

"I'll check with him," Jongdae says, then pats Baekhyun's butt, pushing him out of the kitchen. "Go wash up."

Baekhyun does, stripping out of his clothes along the way. They land in a heap in the closet, and he grabs a more comfortable set of sweatpants and t-shirt to take with him into the bathroom. He showers quickly, basking in the warm water for long enough to let all the lingering tension from the day slip through his veins.

Jongdae is singing in the kitchen when Baekhyun emerges. He smiles at the clear, pretty sound of his voice. He follows the sound back to the kitchen and leans over the countertop to watch. Jongdae continues to sing awhile longer, then turns and notices Baekhyun is there.

He doesn't even blink, because Jongdae is rarely ever startled, and continues to croon out the lyrics of Santa Baby at Baekhyun, reaching a hand out toward him dramatically. Baekhyun laughs, swats his hand away. "You're a sap," he says, but he feels warm anyway. "What's Minseok's status?"

"He's on his way right now," Jongdae says. "His class ran late."

"That's been happening a lot recently, hasn't it?" Baekhyun says. "At least he doesn't have work tonight."

"What about you? You're not on call?" Jongdae asks, then he seems to notice Baekhyun's change of clothes and laughs. "I guess not, huh."

"Thankfully not," Baekhyun says with a smile. "I am tomorrow though, and the whole weekend." He pouts, slumping over the counter tiredly at the thought. Jongdae reaches over to squeeze his fingers and that in itself already makes Baekhyun feel better.

"Come on babe," Jongdae says. "Let's make some food and then we can cuddle on the couch until we pass out."

Baekhyun laughs. "Hell yes," he says, because that sounds like the most perfect way to spend the night.

 

 

-

 

 

"No, we do _not_ need fifty feet of Christmas lights," Minseok says, shooting down Jongdae before he can even open his mouth.

Baekhyun, leaning over the handle of their shopping cart, laughs. "We don't need half the shit in here," he says.

"Yes we do," Jongdae insists, and he sneaks the box of lights into the cart when Minseok turns his back. Baekhyun takes it out a second later, puts it back into the shelf. "You said you wanted to decorate!"

"Yeah, like maybe put up one of those tiny fake trees and some mistletoe, not make my apartment look like Santa's workshop," Baekhyun says, and Jongdae pouts so cutely that Baekhyun wants to kiss him but holds himself back. They're in public, after all. The store is packed with families and couples, picking up decorations themselves or looking for presents. Baekhyun's been keeping a close eye on Minseok and Jongdae too, trying to suss out whether they're still figuring out what to get him.

"Baekhyun's right," Minseok says. "We don't need to go overboard. Let's keep it simple."

Jongdae whines in that cute way he does, but Baekhyun shares a look with Minseok and smiles. They both know it's mostly for show. They also know they'll come to some sort of compromise before long, in which Jongdae will probably come out of it the most satisfied.

For now all he does is grumpily mutter, "Fine," as if totally put upon, and then heads off down the aisle, looking for the next item on their list.

Baekhyun hasn't gone Christmas decoration shopping in years. Not since he was a kid, clinging to his mother's sleeve and acting much like Jongdae is right now. It's fun, though, being here together, the three of them, arguing over what kind of fake tree to get ("The white ones are prettier!" says Jongdae, "But pine trees aren't white!" yells Baekhyun. "They're both fake, you idiots, it doesn't even matter!" says Minseok).

Baekhyun remembers with clarity how they'd spent Christmas together last year. Jongdae had said they'd decorate this year, and he'd kept his promise. It'd been special back then, that Jongdae had been thinking so far ahead, and now, here they are, a whole year later, still together. Still very much in love.

It almost feels longer, sometimes, when he thinks about it. So much has happened in the past year. Baekhyun learns something new about Jongdae and Minseok everyday. Learns something new about himself, too, in the process. Baekhyun loves the mornings he wakes up to the two of them with him in bed, the nights when he and Jongdae stay up a little late to wait for Minseok so they can curl into the sheets together. They've taught him a new appreciation for Americanos, because spending all his time with two coffee addicts means Baekhyun never stood a chance, and Baekhyun's inducted them into the world of LOL with much success.

There's the other, little things, too. Minseok's school books stacked on the coffee table in Baekhyun's apartment, Jongdae's assortment of bowties spread out on the dresser, their clothes mixed in with Baekhyun's, the shower products they prefer lined up next to Baekhyun's in the bath. The little silver key to their place a now familiar addition to Baekhyun's keyring.

He instinctively slips his hand into his pocket to reach for it, feel the cool metal between his fingers. "We should get both," he says, smiling at Jongdae and Minseok, who're still arguing over the trees. When they pause and look to him, he flushes a little but shrugs. "We can put one up in the living room and one in the kitchen. Just get one that's smaller--yeah, that one's perfect."

"I like this plan," Minseok says, grinning as he deposits the trees into their cart. Jongdae is beaming, too, wrapping an arm around Baekhyun's shoulder and squeezing.

"You can be smart sometimes, huh?"

Baekhyun shoves him away, but Jongdae laughs, bright and a little too loud. A mother with her equally as loud children shoots them a glare and Baekhyun throws her a beautiful grin until she looks away. "What else do we need?" Baekhyun asks.

"Let's find a banner or something," Minseok says. "Did you want to do stockings?"

"Oh, we should get one for my niece," Baekhyun says and then slowly grins as they pass by something on another shelf that catches his eye. He stops suddenly and Jongdae bumps into him, groaning, but Baekhyun ignores him in favor of grabbing a little box of fake mistletoe to wave in their faces. "Can't forget this!"

Minseok rolls his eyes. "Of course you would," he says as Jongdae matches Baekhyun's grin.

"I knew I could count on you," he says and Baekhyun, filled with warmth, happily laughs.

-

"How are the kids doing?" Baekhyun asks as he and Yixing wait in line to rent skates.

"They've been a handful the past few weeks," Yixing says, but his smile is fond like he doesn't really mind. It's been a few months since Yixing started teaching middle school music full-time, but everytime he talks about it, his eyes light up with excitement. Baekhyun thinks it really suits him. "They're all ready for the break. Honestly, so am I. Just another week to get through before we're all free."

"Ahhh, must be nice," Baekhyun whines, pouting a little as he rests his chin on Yixing's shoulder. "I wish I had a break."

"That's what you get for being all smart and becoming a doctor," Yixing laughs, patting Baekhyun's butt. "You get to put up with all the sick kids while they're home from school."

"Ew," Baekhyun says sadly, already dreading it. He's been pretty lucky so far this winter, dealing with only a handful of sick kids while the rest he merely had to distract long enough to give them their flu shots before sending them on their way. Hopefully the universe will be kind to him and keep kids healthy for the rest of the winter, but Baekhyun's not really holding his breath on that.

He sighs, straightens back up and glances toward the doors to see if Minseok or Jongdae have arrived. They're waiting for Han, too. It was a quick last minute decision to come out to ice-skate. It's still surprisingly warm out for mid-December that the outdoor rinks aren't available, so the indoor rink they've picked is packed with families.

It'd been Jongdae's idea to come. Jongdae enjoys going out and doing things; ice-skating, movies, late night McDonald's runs just for the hell of it. Baekhyun doesn't mind any of that, really, but a few months ago it'd been a little sore topic, when Jongdae had gotten fed up over Baekhyun and Minseok's preference to stay at home. It hadn't been a good evening, not when Jongdae had stormed out to meet with Han after Minseok and Baekhyun shot him down. The next few days hadn't been much better, not when Jongdae regarded their apologizes with stony silence until they finally worn him down.

They're better about it now, trying to accommodate to everyone's needs and interests. Baekhyun hasn't gone ice-skating in years so he's not entirely sure he's looking forward to falling flat on his face, but if it makes Jongdae happy, then he thinks it's worth it.

"Is that them?" Yixing says suddenly, cutting through Baekhyun's thoughts, as he wraps an arm around Baekhyun's shoulders and turns him a little to the right. "Yeah, it is. Finally."

"Finally?" Baekhyun repeats, pretending to be offended. "You're that tired of me already, Yixing? I haven't seen you in weeks and this is how you treat me?"

Yixing chuckles and drops his arm from Baekhyun's shoulder so he can wrap both his arms around Baekhyun's waist instead. "You're right," he says softly. "I'm sorry. I've missed you, Baekhyun."

"Good," Baekhyun huffs, even as he struggles not to laugh and is failing. "You should. I add more sparkle to your life."

"You add something alright," Yixing teases, and laughs a little brighter when Baekhyun pouts at him.

"You're so mean to me," Baekhyun says, but smiles as familiar fingers gently squeeze the back of his neck.

"Oh, are we teasing Baekhyun?" Jongdae asks, stepping up beside him, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "My favorite pastime."

"Fuck off," Baekhyun laughs, pulling out of Yixing's arms so he can shove Jongdae instead. Jongdae laughs too, falling into Minseok, who steadies him easily with hands on his waist. Minseok smiles at Baekhyun over Jongdae's shoulder and Baekhyun grins back. "Hi," he says and Minseok's smile turns softer, and he reaches out to pull Baekhyun in for a quick kiss. Jongdae whistles at them, and laughs when Baekhyun plants a kiss to his lips too.

"You guys are disgusting," says Han, shaking his head as he watches them with judging eyes, but the second Yixing sidles up to him and laces their fingers together, his expression melts and they share a smile.

"We could say the same about you," Minseok teases and Han childishly sticks his tongue out at him.

"C'mon guys," Yixing says, tugging Han toward the rental counter and waving the rest of them over. "Time to fall on our faces."

"Speak for yourself," Jongdae says. "I'm good at skating."

"Then I'm clinging to you the whole time," Baekhyun says, already looping an arm around Jongdae's and holding on tight.

"You'd probably do that anyway," Han says with a roll of his eyes and Baekhyun shrugs because he knows it's true. They all do.

"Can't blame me for wanting to touch my hot boyfriends," he says, and once Yixing and Han rent their skates, Baekhyun steps up to the counter to request sizes for himself, Minseok, and Jongdae. The tired looking worker retrieves them easily and Baekhyun passes over his card, smiles at the way Minseok squeezes his hand in thanks.

Baekhyun turns out to be much better at skating than he expected. Jongdae holds onto his hand and leads him around the rink, steadying Baekhyun on his feet whenever he stumbles. Minseok is annoyingly good at skating, gliding around them with a bright laugh and encouraging Baekhyun whenever he flies by. Han is the worst of them, clinging to Yixing much more than even Baekhyun is to Jongdae, but Yixing doesn't seem to mind.

By the time Baekhyun is able to skate on his own without falling on his face (which he only does three times, thank you very much), Minseok pats him on the back and says, "Race you around the rink!" before he skates past.

"Hey!" Baekhyun yells after him, struggling to keep up. "That's not fair!"

"Loser buys dinner!" Jongdae says as he passes Baekhyun too, and Baekhyun groans as he surges after them, thighs burning from the exertion.

Minseok wins, but Baekhyun manages to catch up to Jongdae and rams right into him, laughing as Jongdae makes a surprised sound, arms wrapping around Baekhyun as he steadies them. Minseok slides back over to help, grabbing their elbows and easing them apart once they've managed to regain balance.

"You guys are a menace," Minseok says, but his eyes are shining in amusement.

"Hey, you're the one who started this," Jongdae says, shoving Minseok in the shoulder, but then curling his fingers around Minseok's elbow to pull him back in.

"Yeah and you guys sucked," Minseok says. Baekhyun gasps in mock offense and places a hand over his chest.

"So rude," he says. "Aren't you proud that I can even skate by myself?"

Minseok makes a little cooing noise and reaches up to pet Baekhyun's head, gentle fingers threading through his hair. "Of course I am, baby," he teases and Baekhyun only manages to pout for a few seconds before he laughs, pleased.

"Come on," Baekhyun says, grabbing each of their hands in his and squeezing. "Let's go race Han. Even I can beat him."

 

 

-

 

 

Minseok is singing the Korean version of Silent Night. It makes Baekhyun smile and hum along under his breath as he pulls out the Christmas decorations they bought last week. Baekhyun doesn't know the Korean lyrics to any Christmas songs. Minseok says he prefers most of them like this, because it's how he learned them first, and he laughs when Baekhyun attempts to pick up on the words and his accent gets in the way.

"My parents never made us learn, okay?" Baekhyun says, peeling one of the gift bows out of its packaging to throw at Minseok.

It doesn't get very far, and lands a foot away between them. Minseok snorts, picks it up and comes over to place it in the middle of Baekhyun's head. He hadn't removed the paper over the sticky backing so the second Baekhyun moves, the bow falls off his head and to the floor again. They laugh softly and leave it, and Baekhyun pulls out a bag of pretty gold tinsel. They've set up the larger, green tree in the corner of the living room. It's about four feet so it doesn't get too high, and Baekhyun is wondering if they should put it on top of something to give it more height.

"What do you think?" he asks Minseok, voicing his concerns, and Minseok glances over at the tree, lips pursing cutely in consideration.

"I think it looks fine as it is," he says after a moment. "But maybe we can find a box to set it on and see how it looks once we've got it decorated."

"Okay," Baekhyun agrees, because that makes sense. Right now the tree looks pretty sad, just its plastic leaves sticking out everywhere. Baekhyun's excited to dress it, and quickly tears through the rest of their decorations.

Together, Baekhyun and Minseok wrap the tree in sparkling tinsel and hang small plastic ornaments at the tips of its branches. They get a little too excited by all of it, especially since they have the second tree to dress, perched at the end of Baekhyun's kitchen counter. Minseok puts on a winter themed playlist from his phone and they use their decor as makeshift microphones to sing loudly into and Baekhyun is flush with pride every time he makes Minseok laugh at his silly voices.

They hang Christmas lights around Baekhyun's living room window and the counter in the kitchen and spend twenty minutes with all the lights in the apartment off to admire the colors. There's an extra box of lights leftover that Minseok says they should just return, but Baekhyun has a better idea.

He rips it open and arranges them around the bed frame in his room while Minseok leans against the door with crossed arms and shakes his head.

"You mean you _don't_ wanna fuck me in bed with just these lights on?" Baekhyun asks when he's done, stepping up into Minseok's space. He rests his hands on Minseok's hips and holds onto his gaze until Minseok's eyes tip down to Baekhyun's lips. Baekhyun grins, lets Minseok close the space between them in a slow, bone-aching kiss, and like that, they stumble back out into the living room, bumping into walls and tripping over each other's feet, Minseok's hands in the back pockets of Baekhyun's jeans.

Minseok pulls away and heads to the kitchen, and Baekhyun hears the door of the fridge opening and closing. Baekhyun rifles through the last of their decorations, wonders what to do with all the tinsel they have left over. On a whim, he wraps one strip of it around his own neck and picks up the bow he'd thrown at Minseok earlier again. He peels off the sticky backing and presses it to the side of his head as Minseok returns.

"What're you doing?" he laughs, and when Baekhyun turns to him with a grin, Minseok holds out a glass of the fruit punch Jongdae had bought the other day. Baekhyun takes it with a nod of thanks, enjoys a small sip, then sets it down on the counter.

"I'm decorating," he says grandly, flapping one end of the tinsel around his neck at Minseok.

"You're ridiculous," Minseok says, but soon enough he joins Baekhyun in pulling out the rest of their decorations to figure out what to do with them. As it turns out, most of it doesn't end up anywhere in the apartment. Instead, Baekhyun's wrapped up in even more tinsel and a roll of ribbon that Jongdae had bought for wrapping presents.

Minseok's got another one of those bows on his head to match Baekhyun, and Baekhyun is crooning, "All I want for Christmas is youuuu~" at him as he loops a long strand of the silvery tinsel around Minseok's neck. Minseok is laughing, even as Baekhyun tugs him closer with the ends of the tinsel until Minseok falls against him.

"Kiss me," Baekhyun says and Minseok, eyes bright, smiles that crooked smile of his that Baekhyun loves and waits until Baekhyun gets impatient before he does.

That's how Jongdae finds them, some twenty minutes later. They've made it to the floor now, surrounded by the leftover decorations, still making out. Baekhyun's got Minseok straddling his lap and Minseok's hands in his hair, teeth dragging over Baekhyun's lower lip when he hears Jongdae's familiar cackling laugh.

"So this is what you guys get up to when I'm gone," he says and Baekhyun rolls his head to the side to look at Jongdae around Minseok's shoulder.

He's watching them with an amused grin, arms crossed over his chest and work bag slung over his back. Baekhyun licks his lips and returns his grin at the way Jongdae's eyes immediately focuses on his mouth. "Welcome home," Baekhyun says even as he slides a hand from where it's resting on Minseok's waist down to squeeze his ass instead.

Jongdae snorts, uncrosses his arms and pulls his bag off to set aside on the couch. His coat comes next and then he's joining them, brushing aside tinsel and bows and all the plastic wrapping to make space. "You're gonna clean this all up right?" he teases and Minseok pulls himself up so he's sitting in Baekhyun's lap, lips a little swollen and cheeks a little pink.

"Baekhyun will do it," he says and when Baekhyun opens his mouth to protest, he pointedly grinds down against him to shut him up.

Baekhyun gasps, gripping at Minseok's hips again. "That's a low blow," he breathes.

"You'll be rewarded for it later," Minseok promises in that low voice of his that he knows Baekhyun can't refuse. "We still have more decorations to put up anyway." He grabs Baekhyun's left hand and lifts it up to read the time on the watch he's wearing. "If we finish quickly, we'll have plenty of time for me to fuck you before I go into work." He tilts his head to the side and smirks. "You did say something about fucking in bed with the Christmas lights on, right?"

Baekhyun moans at the thought but Jongdae laughs, glancing between them with intrigue. "You put up lights in the bedroom?" he asks.

"That was all his idea," Minseok says, and he finally pulls himself off of Baekhyun, stretching his arms over his head with a sigh.

Baekhyun, half hard in his jeans, rolls himself over until he's sprawled halfway across Jongdae's folded legs. "They're pretty, okay," he defends himself, pressing his chin against Jongdae's knee.

Jongdae smiles down at him, threads gentle fingers through Baekhyun's hair. "Well, then," he says. "Better hurry up and clean so we can make use of them, huh?"

Baekhyun makes a little noise of consideration. He can already hear Minseok cleaning up beside them and his lips still tingle from the press of his mouth against his. "Kiss me first," Baekhyun demands, puckering his lips, and Jongdae, much like Minseok some time earlier, laughs softly before he does.

A wad of tinsel hits Baekhyun in the head when they pull back and Minseok says, "You're so spoiled."

"I think you both like spoiling me," Baekhyun simpers without pause, and he smiles his most charming smile at them, because he knows it's true. They all do, and they probably wouldn't have it any other way.

 

 

-

 

 

Minseok and Jongdae's apartment is empty when Baekhyun arrives after work, letting himself in with his key and stopping in the entryway to pull off his boots. It's been snowing nonstop today, but the weather is still relatively warm for December in New York, so most of the snow melts as it hits the ground and turns the streets into slush instead. Baekhyun loves this time of year, but he could do without the wet sludge soaking up his boots and leaving his toes cold and uncomfortable.

At least he's home. This is home, now. He spends just as much time here as he does at his own place, and Baekhyun likes it, how comfortable he is here even when he's alone.

He puts his coat away in the hall closet, drops his keys, phone, and wallet onto the coffee table, and peels his shirt off over his head as he walks down to the bathroom. It's been a long day and he's pretty sure he jinxed himself the other day when he hoped the universe would be kind to him and keep the kids healthy for the winter. The worried parents and crying children Baekhyun had to deal with today almost had him questioning why he ever became a pediatrician in the first place.

A shower helps. He uses Jongdae's citrusy shampoo and body wash because Jongdae's always a little extra clingy when Baekhyun smells like him, and once he's sufficiently clean, he dries off with a fluffy towel and heads into the bedroom for clothes. It's been about five months since Minseok and Jongdae presented Baekhyun with his own little drawer in their dresser, a space for underwear and socks and anything else he might leave here, but Baekhyun still feels hopelessly giddy every time he pulls it open.

He dresses easily in comfy sweats and a t-shirt, finds one of the large hoodies Minseok wears around the house to slip on too. It's big on Minseok, but fits Baekhyun just right, and returns to the living room. He picks up his phone from the coffee table as he flops out onto the couch.

He digs the remote out from under his butt and turns on the television, lets the news channel breathe some life into the apartment as he checks his messages. There's something about catching dinner from Chanyeol, and one from his brother confirming the time of the Christmas party the coming weekend. Baekhyun replies to both and then drops his phone to the side of the couch, turns to look at the television.

The news mostly makes him hate the world, so he pulls up Netflix instead. They've been recently making their way through Iron Fist, and Baekhyun doesn't want to watch without them, so he puts on an old episode of B99 instead to enjoy as he drags himself off the couch in search of food.

Baekhyun decides on reheating some leftover chicken and making fried rice. It’s one of the few things he's confident he can make, and as he pulls out the ingredients, he grabs a bottle of beer for himself as well.

When he shuts the fridge door, he catches sight of the little note he'd written Minseok wishing him good luck on a project he'd been stressing over. Warmth settles in his chest as he looks at it, because it's been about a week and it's still there, and it's these little things that make Baekhyun think about how lucky and happy he is these days.

A year ago, everything still felt so new and a little fragile. Now, Baekhyun is safe and content in the relationship that they've built, in this togetherness that they've created. Everyday is full of life when he's with Minseok and Jongdae, even if he only sees one of them and not the other, even if they sometimes go a whole day without seeing each other at all. There's the messages on his phone and the pictures they send, the voicemails Baekhyun finds during his lunch break that are nothing more than a simple, "Hey, I just wanted to hear your voice," or "Can you pick up some eggs on your way home?"

There's the drawer in Minseok and Jongdae's dresser just for Baekhyun; the space in Baekhyun's own apartment he's delegated for the two of them. Jongdae's earrings left out on Baekhyun's bathroom counter when he's running to late for work and forgets to put them in, Minseok's glasses on the coffee table when he falls asleep on Baekhyun's couch while studying.

There's the mornings with Jongdae curled against Baekhyun's back when he wakes up in their bed, warm, content, perfectly at home. Nights when Baekhyun and Jongdae stay up until Minseok returns from work so they can wash up together, knocking elbows as they brush their teeth, afternoons spent watching movies and playing games, Minseok kissing Baekhyun softly, sweetly again and again before Baekhyun has to run out to the hospital when he gets a call.

Of course, it hasn't always been easy. They do their best to communicate, but it's inevitable, sometimes, that things slip between the cracks. Baekhyun and Jongdae planning a dinner date only to realize they'd expected the other to tell Minseok and instead never invited him at all. Baekhyun suddenly reminded of how long Jongdae and Minseok have been together and having to remind himself that it's okay, that they still want him here. All three of them growing busy enough that they accidently don't see each other for a few whole days, and Baekhyun wondering not for the first time if it wouldn't be better if they all lived together, but knowing that it's probably too soon to even bring that up.

He would like it though, he thinks as he cracks an egg into the pan on the stove. Not having to move between two apartments across town, being able to go home and know that they'd be there, never accidentally ending up at his place when he meant to come here and being too lazy to make the effort to correct his mistake. A place that's all their own. The three of them.

"Maybe someday," Baekhyun says quietly to himself.

For now though, he's happy with the way everything is.

 

 

-

 

 

"I can't believe you're making me wear this again," Baekhyun says, staring down at the familiar Christmas sweater.

"I've told you that it makes you look cute, but you won't believe me," Jongdae says. He's sporting the green Rudolph sweater from last year again too, and Minseok is in his red one, running a hand down the soft white fur that makes up Santa's beard.

Baekhyun has a Christmas tree on his, and it's probably the least ridiculous of the three but that doesn't make up for the fact that it's itchy. He pouts and Jongdae reaches over to flick a finger against his lower lip.

"Don't do that," he chides but when Baekhyun pouts even harder, Jongdae sighs. "You can take it off later after everyone's here and we've had dinner."

Baekhyun considers this. Their friends should be arriving soon and dinner won't be much long after that. "Fine," Baekhyun relents. "But as long as you let me burn this afterward."

Jongdae snorts. "We'll see," he says, and then turns back to the mirror so he can check his appearance once last time. "Maybe I should've gotten you a new non-itchy sweater for your present this year instead."

"Ohhh," Baekhyun says, bouncing on his feet a little as he follows Jongdae out of the bathroom. "That means you got me something different, right? What is is? What did you get?"

"A box of coal, obviously," Jongdae replies without missing a beat and Baekhyun laughs.

"You won't give me a hint?" he asks and bats his eyelashes cutely.

"Like you've given either Minseok or me any hints?" Jongdae retorts. "Not a chance."

Minseok laughs from the bed, where he's perched at the edge and peering at his phone. Baekhyun abandons Jongdae in favor of seeing what he's up to, crawling over the freshly made bed ("We have guests over, you have to make the bed!" Minseok had said a few hours ago), and perches his chin on Minseok's shoulder. "You'll give me a hint, right?" Baekhyun simpers.

Without even looking up from his phone, Minseok reaches back to pinch Baekhyun's nose. "Like Jongdae said," he replies, "not a chance."

"Fine," Baekhyun sniffs. "And here I was, all prepared to give you a hint if you gave me one."

Minseok and Jongdae share an amused look. "How do you know we haven't already figured out what you got us?" Minseok says and Baekhyun opens his mouth to reply but nothing comes out. He stares between them and can't tell if they're bluffing or not. Their poker faces have always been better than his.

"You guys suck," Baekhyun says, stomping out of the room. He hears them laughing after him, and a smile pulls at his lips at the sound, but his attention quickly diverts at the sudden knock at the door. He glances at his watch, double checking the time, and it's about fifteen past the designated time he'd sent everyone in a confirmation message last night.

At another knock, he goes to open the door and finds Chanyeol there, holding a giant gift bag and another smaller bag that Baekhyun's sure holds wine. "You're late," Baekhyun tells him, but Chanyeol only laughs, pulls Baekhyun into a bone-crushing hug.

"Nice to see you too," he says cheerfully as he slips away and into the apartment. A few seconds later, he hears Chanyeol yelling out Jongdae's name excitedly and shakes his head. Before he has the chance to join them, there's another knock at the door and Baekhyun opens it again to find Jongin, Kyungsoo, and Soojung.

"Hey guys," Baekhyun says, waving them all in with a grin on his face. Kyungsoo pulls on one of Baekhyun's ears as greeting before he passes and Soojung stops to give him a hug. "I'm glad you could make it," he says, then drops his voice a little to add, "I thought I told you Kyungsoo was uninvited."

Soojung laughs, lifts a hand up to cover her mouth as Kyungsoo shouts back, "I heard that!"

"He couldn't stay away," Soojung says in a lilting voice, and Kyungsoo reappears around the corner to glare at them both.

"Stop spreading lies," he says, but then he smiles at Soojung, who walks over to join him, appeases him with a little kiss to the cheek.

"Ahh you guys are so cute," Baekhyun says as he follows them into the apartment.

"You say that as if you and your boyfriends aren't," Kyungsoo says with a roll of his eyes.

"Yeah, aren't you guys wearing couple sweaters?" Jongin inputs from where he's sitting at the couch beside Chanyeol.

"It wasn't my idea," Baekhyun defends quickly, and Jongdae appears out of nowhere to smack the back of his head.

"He's a Christmas sweater hater," Jongdae says as Baekhyun whines. Everyone ignores him. "Okay, tell me your drink orders."

There's a knock at the door again, so Baekhyun leaves to answer it as everyone shouts out what they want to drink. Yixing and Han tackle him in the doorway, laughing and holding presents in their hands. Baekhyun tries to peek into a bag and Yixing smacks his hand. "Later," he chides and when Baekhyun pouts, he just slides an arm around his shoulders and leads him back to the others.

Baekhyun's usually sparse living room is full of people now and it's a nice sight. Somedays he's still amazed at having Jongdae and Minseok here, lounging on the couch, falling asleep at the coffee table, doing push-ups shirtless on the floor in front of the television. He's happy to have everyone together like this. He squeezes onto the couch between Chanyeol and Minseok, throws a leg over Minseok's thigh simply because he can. Minseok pats his knee without batting an eye, continuing his conversation with Soojung who is sitting in one of the chairs they pulled in from the dining table.

Jongdae comes back in with the last of everyone's drinks, passing around beers and glasses of water. He stops in front of Baekhyun and Minseok and says, "Come on, boys. We have food to heat up."

"Oh good, because I'm starving," Chanyeol says and then yelps when Baekhyun elbows him in the side as he hauls himself up to his feet. "Rude," Chanyeol says, rubbing his side. "Is that how you treat your guests?"

“No, it’s just how I treat you,” Baekhyun returns easily and then darts off toward the kitchen with a laugh before Chanyeol can retaliate. Minseok and Jongdae walk in after him, amused little smiles on their faces, and Baekhyun, bubbling with sudden mirth, gives them each a smacking kiss. "All right," he says as he pulls back, grinning as he watches the way Minseok and Jongdae laugh, sharing a look before turning back to Baekhyun with soft, fond eyes. "Food time! Chanyeol's not the only one who's starving."

Together it's easy to heat up the food they had already prepared that morning. Baekhyun's regulated to setting up the table, which doesn't take too long. There's just enough space for everyone with the few fold-up chairs they were able to get from the landlord. Baekbeom and his family had to change their plans last minute, so they won't be coming until tomorrow, and Sehun is busy spending Christmas with his girlfriend. Baekhyun's still kind of amazed the thing with Minseok's sister turned out so well.

Dinner is a lively affair, with about thirty different conversations going on at once. It's loud and energetic and everyone praises the food about every couple of minutes. Baekhyun makes the whole table laugh when he says, "Thanks, I made all of it," and Jongdae squeezes Baekhyun's knee under the table.

Baekhyun tries to balance his intake of wine with enough food and water so he doesn't become a total mess before the night's even started. He listens as Chanyeol regales a story about the asshole client he worked with for a recent project and notices the way Jongin seems to hang on his every word, laughing especially hard at some of Chanyeol's jokes. Interesting, he thinks, as he watches Jongin’s eyes light up, and figures this is something he’ll have to talk to him about later.

At the other end of the table, Yixing is telling Soojung about how Han kept falling at the ice rink the other week, and Han acts like he’s not annoyed, back turned on Yixing so he can loudly discuss something sports related with Minseok instead. Kyungsoo and Jongdae are complaining about current politics. Baekhyun thinks the way Jongdae grows increasingly angry is really cute, the furrow between his brows and the set of his jaw telltale signs. Baekhyun leans his head against Jongdae's shoulder with a little sigh, and it seems to relax Jongdae, too, who cuts off mid-sentence to glance at Baekhyun.

"You okay?" he asks, setting down his fork so he can rest his hand on Baekhyun's knee again.

"I'm great," Baekhyun says, because he is, and he feels even better when Minseok, sitting across from him, nudges his socked feet against Baekhyun's own. Baekhyun grins at him, even as Minseok continues talking with Han, but Kyungsoo notices and sighs.

"Are you really playing footsie right now?" he asks, sounding like someone who has seen too much.

"Why, do you wanna play too?" Baekhyun returns and Kyungsoo fixes him with such a solid glare, that Baekhyun and Jongdae burst out laughing.

They all disperse as food runs out, a few retreating back to the living room, while others move seats around the table to keep talking. Baekhyun starts clearing out the dishes, rinsing them off in the sink before putting them away in the dishwasher. Yixing comes up to help, nudging Baekhyun in the side with his elbow and laughing when Baekhyun flicks water back at him from the running faucet.

"Hey," Yixing says in a soft voice, and when Baekhyun looks over, Yixing is glancing back at the table, then shuffles to the side so he can check the living room.

"What's up?" Baekhyun asks, confused.

"Sorry," Yixing says as he returns to his side, takes another dish from the pile and holds it under the faucet. "I wanted to make sure Han couldn't hear."

"Ohhh," Baekhyun says and his interest is now definitely piqued. "You've got a secret? What is it? What, what, what--"

"I was thinking of proposing to Han," Yixing says quickly, in the most hushed voice he can muster. Baekhyun's not as successful, an excited shout of surprise bursting free from his lips.

"Are you okay over there?" Minseok calls out and Yixing shoots Baekhyun a warning look and Baekhyun, still giggling a little, says, "Yeah, yeah, we're fine. Yixing played a trick on me, that's all."

"Okay," Minseok says. "Hurry up and come join us then."

"Yeah, we're almost done," Baekhyun says, and once the chatter picks back up again, Baekhyun turns to Yixing, pokes him in the sides with his wet fingers. "Are you serious?" he says. "Wait, do you mean like, now? Tonight?"

Yixing laughs and shakes his head. "No, no way," he says. "Can you imagine? Han would turn so red if I proposed to him in front of all of you."

Baekhyun snickers. He can picture it pretty well; Yixing all suave and Han totally embarrassed. "It'd be funny though," he says. "Now I kind of want you to do it, just to see Han's face."

Yixing smiles, a little fond as he seems to think about it. "It would be pretty entertaining," he agrees, "but I want to be serious about it. What do you think?"

"I think it's great, Yixing, honestly," Baekhyun says. "It's been what, almost five years that you and Han have been together? Marriage seems like the next step. Have you guys ever talked about it before?"

Yixing nods, hands Baekhyun a rinsed plate to put into the dishwasher. "Yeah, a couple of times," Yixing says. "It feels like the right time, you know?"

"Are you worried about him saying yes?" Baekhyun asks. He can't imagine Han rejecting Yixing, not with how he sees the two of them together.

"I think he'll say yes," Yixing says, then laughs softly and amends, "I mean, I hope he says yes." He glances at Baekhyun and he looks a little lost. Baekhyun wipes his hands off on a dishtowel hanging on the oven handle and pulls Yixing into a comforting hug.

"It'll be amazing," Baekhyun says. "If you need help with anything, let me know, okay?"

"Yeah, of course," Yixing says, squeezing Baekhyun back purposefully tightly until Baekhyun laughs and shoves him away. They share a smile, and Baekhyun knows that everything will turn out okay.

They rejoin the others in the living room, and Baekhyun flops onto Minseok's lap where he's sitting in the arm chair. Baekhyun smiles as he catches Yixing settle beside Han and give him a little kiss to the cheek. He glances around the room, and grins when he notices where Kyungsoo and Soojung are sitting in chairs they had pulled back in from the table after dinner.

"Hey," Baekhyun says, waving a hand in their direction. "Look up."

Everyone looks up, which makes Baekhyun laugh because it's only Kyungsoo and Soojung who're sitting directly under one of the pieces of mistletoe they'd hung around the apartment.

"Seriously?" Kyungsoo asks, looking over at Baekhyun with a sort of exasperated expression.

"Tis the season!" Baekhyun yells, throwing his arms up. From the couch, Chanyeol starts chanting at them to kiss, and soon Jongdae and Han are joining in. Baekhyun laughs at the increasing disgruntlement across Kyungsoo's features, the deep heavy sigh he lets out before turning to Soojung, who is watching him expectantly.

"What, you don't want to kiss me?" she teases.

"I don't need a stupid plant to tell me when to--"

He's cut off by Soojung yanking him into a kiss anyway and Baekhyun cheers loudly with the rest of the group, laughing when they separate and Kyungsoo's got a little dazed look on his face. "You okay there, Kyungsoo?" Baekhyun asks.

"He'll be fine," Soojung says with a grin, patting Kyungsoo on the thigh. "How many of these did you put up?"

"A few," Baekhyun says with a shrug. "There's one in front of the bathroom door, another by the kitchen counter."

"He put up about ten of them, but Minseok and I took most of them back down," Jongdae says and no one seems surprised to learn this information, but Baekhyun still huffs.

"I was trying to spread the cheer!" he says, crossing his arms, but still smiles when they laugh and Minseok wraps his arms a little tighter around Baekhyun's waist. Baekhyun twists a little so he can plant a kiss to Minseok's cheek. "See?" he says. "Like that."

Baekhyun catches Chanyeol rolling his eyes, but Jongdae is smiling fondly at him and Minseok and it makes Baekhyun's chest warm. "I'd kiss you too, but I don't want to move," he says, and Jongdae laughs.

"Later," he says, and yeah, Baekhyun is good with that.

The evening wears on with drinking games and an especially loud round of karaoke on the machine that Chanyeol had brought with him for whatever reason. They exchange gifts over dessert, a red velvet cake that Minseok had picked up and a pie that Jongin had brought, all of them crowded around the coffee table in the living room. Baekhyun, Minseok, and Jongdae are saving their gifts for each other until Christmas day, but they have plenty of fun tearing into the presents from their friends.

It's late by the time the party starts quieting down. Kyungsoo and Soojung say their goodbyes first, as they have an early drive into Philadelphia to spend the holiday with Soojung's family. The others slowly disperse as well, Yixing and Han soon after, and Baekhyun gives Yixing another hug and whispers, "Tell me before you do it, okay?"

Yixing laughs and nods, and takes Han's hand, leading him out the door. Chanyeol and Jongin hang around awhile longer, helping Baekhyun, Jongdae, and Minseok clean up around the place despite their protests. By the time they leave, it's past midnight and Chanyeol wraps an arm around Jongin's shoulders, waving back at Baekhyun from the hall. Baekhyun hides a smirk as he watches them, wondering when they suddenly got so close, and waits until they're out of sight before ducking back inside. He slumps against the closed door with a sigh.

"Next year someone else can host the party," Baekhyun yells. Minseok and Jongdae both laugh and it's Minseok who walks over, taking each of Baekhyun's hands in his own and pulling him away from the door.

"I approve of that idea, honestly," Minseok says.

"Next year we'll probably be doing Christmas at my parents," Jongdae says from the kitchen. Baekhyun can hear him putting away the remaining cake in the fridge. "My mom has already demanded it."

"Really?" Baekhyun says, excited and preemptively nervous by the sheer prospect. It's ridiculous obviously, because he knows Jongdae's mom likes him, and has invited to him visit multiple times, but still. The thought of truly meeting the parents suddenly makes him so anxious. He's going to have to apologize to Kyungsoo for teasing him about it.

"Yeah," Jongdae says, walking into the room with a smile. "It's already planned. You can't back out or she'll kill me and then you'll be stuck with only Minseok."

Baekhyun snorts. "That doesn't sound too bad," he teases, cuddling closer to Minseok who is still holding onto Baekhyun's hands.

Jongdae smacks Baekhyun's butt in reprimand. "Come on, asshole," he says. "Let's get to bed."

Baekhyun releases Minseok so he can tackle Jongdae instead, attempting to climb over his back as Jongdae groans and half-carries him into the bedroom. Minseok yells something about washing up first, disappearing into the bathroom, and Baekhyun pulls himself off of Jongdae in favor of flopping himself across the bed.

"Ahhh," he says, spreading his arms wide and moving them up and down as if he's making a snow angel. "Nothing like a freshly made bed at the end of a long day."

"And yet you were the one complaining about it when we cleaned this morning," Jongdae says with a little roll of his eyes.

Baekhyun says nothing, choosing instead to breathe in the lingering scent of the fresh detergent on the pillows. He can hear Jongdae moving around behind him, drawers opening and closing, and Baekhyun lets himself enjoy his little moment of comfort before he drags himself up to change, too. Even though Jongdae had said he could take the sweater off after everyone ate, Baekhyun completely forgot about the itchiness in favor of Yixing's secret and his friend's attention. He wonders if Yixing would be okay with Baekhyun telling Minseok and Jongdae about his plans, and decides he should ask before he announces it. He pulls his phone out of his pocket, rolls over onto his back and sends off a quick message, and checks the few texts he's received since he last looked.

Jongin's updated their group chat to thank Baekhyun, Jongdae, and Minseok for hosting the party and that he had a really fun time, and Baekhyun smiles as he reads it. Jongin's a good kid. He types back, _You're my favorite_ , and then replies to his brother's text that's nothing but a selfie from his niece. He glances at the time again and figures she's already asleep and there's no point in replying. He'll see her tomorrow, anyway.

"Are you ever gonna get ready for bed or am I gonna have to strip you myself?" Jongdae asks, appearing in front of Baekhyun with arched brows and a little smirk at his lips.

"You're definitely gonna have to strip me," Baekhyun says, tossing his phone aside in favor of holding his arms straight up in the air. Jongdae laughs, but he gives in easily, reaching for the hem of Baekhyun's sweater and dragging it off. The shirt Baekhyun had put on underneath is gone next, and then Baekhyun is grabbing the front of Jongdae's shirt to yank him down for a kiss.

Jongdae returns it eagerly, hands falling to Baekhyun's shoulders, thumbs brushing over his collarbones, fingertips sliding up the side of his neck and then back. Baekhyun releases Jongdae's shirt in favor of grabbing Jongdae's hips instead and tugging until Jongdae climbs into Baekhyun's lap, laughing into his mouth. Baekhyun slides his hands around to Jongdae's ass and squeezes pointedly. Jongdae pulls away so he can smack Baekhyun in the chest with the back of his hand and Baekhyun cackles, palms his ass again.

"So nice," he teases and Jongdae sinks his hands into Baekhyun's hair and says, "Shut up," before he kisses him again.

Baekhyun's just catching up when he hears Minseok's voice cut through the air. "Oh, you're already kissing," he says, "guess we don't need this, then."

Baekhyun and Jongdae look over at the same time to find Minseok dressed in worn sweatpants and a flimsy t-shirt, holding up one of the bundles of mistletoe they had hung around the apartment. Baekhyun laughs, heart suddenly so warm at the little crooked smile Minseok gives him and the way Jongdae is now gently playing with Baekhyun's hair, and says, "I don't know. I think we could still make some use out of it."

"Hang it above the bed, maybe?" Jongdae teases and he rolls off of Baekhyun and stalks up to Minseok instead. He lifts Minseok's hand that's holding the mistletoe until it's right over their heads and then darts forward to kiss him.

Baekhyun leans back on his elbows and watches, the warmth in his chest spreading out throughout his entire body. He can see the way Minseok's lips move against Jongdae's, the little flutter of their eyelashes, the tight grip of Jongdae's fingers curling into Minseok's shirt. Minseok drops the mistletoe. It lands on the floor beside Jongdae's feet with a soft sound and Jongdae laughs into Minseok's mouth when Minseok uses his now free hand to curl around the back of Jongdae's neck.

Baekhyun swallows thickly. "Are we sleeping, or are we gearing up for something else here?" he asks.

Minseok and Jongdae slowly pull apart and both Baekhyun and Jongdae groan softly when Minseok licks his lips. He laughs this time and glances between them. "Well, that answers that question, don't you think?" he says, quirking a brow, and Baekhyun wholeheartedly agrees.

 

 

-

 

 

Baekbeom and his family come to visit in the afternoon on Christmas Eve. Baekhyun gets one quick hug from his niece before she tackles Minseok and Jongdae instead, yelling about how happy she is to see them.

"I'm hurt," Baekhyun says, placing a hand over his chest and pouting at his excited niece. She doesn't notice but Baekbeom does, laughing as he claps Baekhyun on the back.

"The novelty will wear off soon, I'm sure," he says and Baekhyun sighs.

"I mean, I can't blame her for liking them. Clearly she gets her good taste from me," Baekhyun replies and Baekbeom shoves him lightly, wrinkling his nose. Baekhyun merely flashes him a grin before turning to properly greet his sister-in-law. She fusses over him much like his mother would, telling him his hair's too long and that he's definitely gotten thinner, and Baekhyun laughs and says, "No way! I think I ate ten pounds of food last night."

"Hmm," she says, narrowing her eyes at him. "I'm not entirely convinced, but I trust you take care of yourself." She pauses, and then her expression transforms into a little smirk instead. "Or, well, I trust your boyfriends take care you."

"Hey," Baekhyun whines, but lets it go easily when she pats his cheek and offers to help put together leftovers from last night.

Baekhyun glances back over at Minseok and Jongdae as he follows her to the kitchen, smiles at the sight of them on the floor and playing eagerly with his niece. Both of them are besotted by her a little, eyes bright and smiles so wide, and as Baekhyun turns away, he wonders, for a moment, if they had ever considered having kids before Baekhyun had entered the picture. He remembers Yixing wanting to propose and thinks about that, if Jongdae and Minseok had ever considered marriage, too.

He should ask them. He _will_ ask them. Not...not right now though, but eventually. They haven't even talked about living together yet. Baekhyun can't spring up questions about marriage and kids right now. Later. He's not in any rush; it's not a make-or-break situation. He's just curious, because even Baekhyun at some point in the past thought that he would get married and have kids in the future. And right now, his future simply includes being with Jongdae and Minseok for as long as he can, however long that might be.

"What's on your mind?" his sister-in-law asks, breaking through Baekhyun's thoughts. "You suddenly got so quiet."

"Oh, it's nothing," Baekhyun says, waving it off with a hand. She doesn't press further and Baekhyun easily pushes his thoughts aside to think about later, and helps her pull containers out of the fridge instead.

It's a casual afternoon. They eat while watching Zootopia, his niece's current favorite movie, and Baekhyun takes ten photos of Nick throughout the film to send to Chanyeol. His niece runs around the room between everyone, only sitting down every once in awhile to shovel a few spoonfuls of food into her mouth. She's in love with all the little toys and treats they put in her stocking and keeps asking if she can open her actual present, even though Baekbeom said it's for tomorrow.

Once it grows dark, they bundle up to visit the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. Baekhyun's niece holds Minseok and Jongdae's hands the entire way, and Baekhyun takes a few photos of that, too. He hangs back to talk with Baekbeom and his sister-in-law, listens to their stories about his niece’s antics and what’s happening with Baekbeom’s work. He teases them about whether they're planning on having another kid, and that if they don't watch out, Jongdae might not let their daughter leave with them that night.

“Actually that reminds me,” Baekbeom laughs. “I know you guys are busy, and you don’t exactly have one place for the three of you yet, but if we ever wanted to take a little mini-vacation, just the two of us--” He gestures to Baekhyun’s sister-in-law, who is smiling at Baekbeom amusedly, “--do you think you could watch her for us? Like for a weekend?”

Baekhyun wasn’t expecting that, but he’s already excited by the prospect. He’s never looked after his niece on his own before, considering he doesn’t live close enough to stop by for a night. “Of course,” he says. “I mean, we’d have to check our schedules and make sure someone can be with her at all times, but I’m obviously cool with it. I already know Minseok and Jongdae wouldn’t mind.”

Baekbeom sighs in relief. “Thanks,” he says in a serious voice, and when his wife's distracted, he adds in a hushed voice, “I’ve been considering a surprise trip for our anniversary next month.”

“Guess you _are_ thinking about another kid, huh?” Baekhyun teases, nudging his brother in the side with an elbow and Baekbeom snorts, shoves Baekhyun away.

“Yeah, well, seeing as you and your boyfriends probably aren’t planning kids anytime soon, someone’s gotta get mom of our backs about another grandkid,” he says with a roll of his eyes.

Baekhyun laughs, a little weirded out that his brother has brought up the very thing he was thinking about earlier. He’s right though, of course. As much as Baekhyun is still wondering about it, the three of them aren’t anywhere near being in a position to have kids.

“Well, I give you my blessing,” Baekhyun says grandly, patting his brother on the back. “I could use another niece or nephew to spoil.”

Baekbeom groans and Baekhyun cackles, tugs him along after the rest of the group.

The tree at Rockefeller Center is crowded as usual, plenty of tourists stopping to take photos, couples holding hands on their winter dates. Baekhyun hasn’t come to see the tree at night in a long time and he’s a little awed by the sheer magnitude; it towers over all of them, glittering bright and beautiful against the night sky. His niece is in awe by the giant tree and finally returns to her parents, begs Baekbeom to lift her up so she can try to reach the top.

"She's so cute," Jongdae says, sidling up beside Baekhyun and hooking his arm around Baekhyun's.

"She gets it from me," Baekhyun replies and Minseok snorts from Jongdae's other side. He's bundled up the most, hood of his coat up and scarf wrapped around that, gloves on but shoved into his pockets. Baekhyun catches his shiver and Jongdae immediately hooks his other arm around Minseok's left, pulling them closer to him.

"It's really pretty, isn't it?" Jongdae says, looking up at the tree. The lights strung up shine and sparkle in the night, bounce off the red and gold ornaments hanging off the branches.

"Yeah," Baekhyun says, "it is," but he's turning to look over at Jongdae, and at Minseok, instead, watching the way the lights glow over the lines and curves of their faces.

He sees the way Jongdae slowly grins, feeling Baekhyun's eyes on him, and how Minseok turns to look over first, eyes gleaming and smile crooked. Baekhyun grins back, glances at Jongdae who has turned to him, too, and laughs when he nudges Baekhyun in the side with the arm still curled around his.

 

 

-

 

 

It snows on Christmas. Baekhyun wakes up to Jongdae watching the light dusting of white through the window, the sunlight blinding Baekhyun for a moment. He blinks through the haze, little colorful bursts dotting his sight until everything smooths into place, and by then Jongdae has noticed he's awake, lets the shades fall closed in favor of climbing back into bed.

"Hey," he says, pressing a little kiss to the side of Baekhyun's face. "Merry Christmas."

Baekhyun grins, cups Jongdae's face in his hands and kisses him properly. It only lasts a few seconds before Jongdae yanks himself away, groaning. "Gross," he says as Baekhyun cackles. "Brush your teeth first."

Baekhyun just reaches out to pull Jongdae back in for more, but Jongdae is faster, rolling off the bed with a laugh. When Baekhyun falls back against the pillows and doesn't move, his expression softens a little and he reaches out to grab Baekhyun's ankles under the covers and drags him down the mattress.

"Come on," he says, swatting at Baekhyun's thigh. "Minseok's already making breakfast and we have presents to open."

Baekhyun sits up quickly at the thought of presents. "You guys haven't opened yours yet, have you?"

"Of course not," Jongdae says. "We've been waiting for you to wake up. If you'd kept sleeping any longer, Minseok was gonna shove ice down your pants."

"Kinky," Baekhyun leers and Jongdae rolls his eyes, shoves Baekhyun toward the bathroom.

"Wash up you punk," Jongdae says and laughs when Baekhyun salutes him with a cheeky grin.

Baekhyun feels much more awake after he's cleaned up and brushed his teeth. He's glad that after two days of catering to guests, today is only for the three of them. He doesn't bother changing out of his pajamas, but stops back in the bedroom to grab a sweater to throw on over his head. Much warmer that way, he follows the sound of Minseok and Jongdae's voices to the living room, where they've spread out food across the coffee table.

Baekhyun goes straight for their presents, stacked around the tree in the corner. He grabs the gifts he knows are for him and brings them over to the table, setting them down to the floor next to him.

"Hey, what's more important, your presents or breakfast?" Minseok demands and Baekhyun laughs, lifts one of his gifts up high over his head.

"Presents!" he exclaims. He sets the box into his lap and then waves his hand over to the tree. "You guys should get yours too. We can eat and open."

Minseok shakes his head but both he and Jongdae retrieve their gifts too, and look as excited as Baekhyun about it. The second they sit back down, Baekhyun rips open the wrapper on the box in his lap. It's a pretty small box, so he's not sure what to expect, but he notices Jongdae watching especially attentive and laughs.

"Yours?" he guesses and Jongdae nods.

"Actually, I got you both the same thing, so you might want to open yours too, Minseok," he says, and Minseok sets his plate of food down in favor of picking up the similarly packaged box next to him.

Baekhyun waits until he's unwrapped his, but Minseok seems much more keen on taking his time. Or maybe he knows Baekhyun is impatient, since Baekhyun can barely hold still in his excitement, wriggling in place as he watches Minseok peel the paper off.

"Patience," Minseok says in a low voice and Baekhyun stills immediately. Jongdae laughs, amused, and reaches out to pat Baekhyun's knee.

Soon enough, they finally discover what Jongdae had gotten for them: expensive, gold chain necklaces with a simple rectangle pendant hanging from the end. They're pretty and delicate and _really nice_ and Baekhyun is already looping the necklace over his head before Jongdae can even ask if they like it.

"It's great, babe," Minseok says earnestly, thumbing the pendant. He's left his still in the case, but he's looking at it with fondness in his eyes.

"I got one for myself too," Jongdae admits, rubbing the back of his neck. "I thought they were nice."

"They are," Baekhyun says. The chain isn't too long, and the pendant sits nicely against his chest. He smirks at Jongdae and adds, "First matching sweaters and now necklaces? Are you trying to stake your claim on us or something?"

Jongdae turns a delightful shade of red but his eyes are cool when he meets Baekhyun's gaze. "Maybe," he says smoothly and Baekhyun grins.

"There are more enjoyable ways to do that," he says, already on his knees and moving toward Jongdae, catching him by the front of his shirt so he can scrape his teeth pointedly down the side of his neck. Jongdae shudders against him, gasping quietly into Baekhyun's hair, and Baekhyun laughs, pulling back smugly.

"I'll keep that in mind for later," Jongdae says, voice low, and Baekhyun nods his approval, before returning to his spot on the floor.

"You should open something now," Baekhyun says, beaming, as he finally picks up a plate and helps himself to the pancakes Minseok had made. He dribbles syrup over them and licks the stickiness from his fingers and grins when he catches Minseok watching. Minseok's gaze is a little dark, and he doesn't look away even as Baekhyun sticks his fingers back into his mouth, now mostly for show.

The sound of tearing paper draws Baekhyun's attention away, and he removes his fingers from his mouth with a little cackling laugh. From the promise in Jongdae's voice earlier to the dark want in Minseok's eyes, Baekhyun is suddenly sure they're going to end up spending at least part of Christmas back in bed soon enough. He's not opposed to that, honestly. Maybe Jongdae can fuck him while he's wearing nothing but his new necklace.

Baekhyun swallows thickly, pushes the thought out of his head and reaches for one of the glasses of orange juice set out on the table. He drinks as he watches Jongdae finally pulls open the gift he'd gotten him.

"Holy shit, you didn't," Jongdae says, holding the box for the launchpad he's been talking about for three months.

"You can finally stop begging Chanyeol to use his," Baekhyun laughs, setting his glass down. "I asked him to help me pick one, so it should be what you're looking--"

"It's perfect," Jongdae says, continuing to stare down at the box in awe. He tears his gaze away a moment later though, meeting Baekhyun's eyes and smiling so wide Baekhyun can't help but lean over and kiss him. "Thank you," Jongdae murmurs against his lips when he pulls back and Baekhyun pats his knee.

"You've been talking about getting one for ages," Baekhyun says with a little shrug, but he's pleased that Jongdae approves of his choice. Jongdae's foray into composing has become a full-blown hobby over the past year and he's gotten good at writing music with the limited equipment he has. The rest of the time he's meeting with Chanyeol to borrow his stuff and they've worked on a few songs together too, Jongdae's voice blending nicely with Chanyeol's on the demos they've recorded. Baekhyun has them saved on his phone to listen to during breaks at work.

Jongdae gives the launchpad another look before he sets it aside, still smiling, and for the next few minutes they're all distracted by food and each other. Baekhyun shuffles around to Minseok's side and rests against him as he eats simply because he can and because Minseok looks especially cute wearing one of Baekhyun's too-big sweaters. Jongdae tries to steal a piece of sausage from Minseok's plate even though there's plenty more in the middle of the table, and Minseok eventually lets him take it without fuss.

Baekhyun listens contently when Jongdae brings up his family's Christmas traditions, the gingerbread cookies his mother makes that are better than any he's had before. "It's true," Minseok says with a laugh, and rests his hand on Baekhyun's thigh as he adds, "You'll see for yourself next year," and Baekhyun thinks he quite likes the sound of that.

Minseok eventually opens his gift from Baekhyun and thankfully he can't drag it out this time just to mess with him since Baekhyun had put it into a gift bag instead of a box. He makes an excited noise as he pulls out the fancy leather bag and holds it up.

"I figured you could use it for your internship," Baekhyun says from where he's still resting against Minseok's shoulder. He's jostled a little every time Minseok moves to inspect the bag, but he doesn't mind.

"Thinking that far ahead?" MInseok laughs. "I haven't even graduated yet."

"But you were already accepted," Baekhyun reminds him. He only found out about a month ago, and they'd celebrated that night, too, Baekhyun and Jongdae showing Minseok just how proud they were of him. "And you only have a semester left! It's gonna go by so fast."

"Yeah, before you know it, it'll be May and we'll be at your graduation ceremony with a giant banner and a hundred balloons," Jongdae says and he laughs when Minseok groans.

"Please don't do that," he says and Baekhyun squeezes him gently with the arm he still has wrapped around his waist. "Thank you," he adds, turning to Baekhyun, who tilts his head up with puckered lips until Minseok gives in.

Pleased, Baekhyun grins when they part and turns to Jongdae. "Open your last one," he says.

"You're suddenly much less excited by presents," Jongdae laughs as he picks up the present from Minseok.

Baekhyun shrugs a shoulder. "I'm comfy," he says, which is true. Mostly he's happy to watch as Minseok and Jongdae open their gifts, watch the way their eyes light up and pleased smiles stretch across their faces. He's glad, too, that they both enjoyed the gifts he got them, so there's less for Baekhyun to worry about now. He can simply enjoy this.

Minseok got Jongdae a pair of new, good-quality headphones. Jongdae's current pair has seen better days but he's been putting off buying a new one. "Guess we had a similar idea," Baekhyun laughs.

"Or you're trying to tell me I spend too much time making music these days," Jongdae teases.

"You caught us," Minseok says. "That's why we got you better equipment, so you can stop making music at all and finally pay attention to us instead."

"If you want attention you only have to ask," Jongdae says in a soft voice, gazing pointedly at them from across the coffee table.

Baekhyun stretches his legs out under the table, brushes his foot along Jongdae's thigh and says, "Don't worry, I will."

"Later," Minseok adds, easily picking up on the shift in atmosphere, and Jongdae laughs, drags his eyes away from Baekhyun in favor of taking a few gulps from his glass of juice. "Open your last present, Baekhyun."

Baekhyun rolls himself over to grab his remaining gift, the one from Minseok, and then pulls himself right back into Minseok's side. The second he sticks his hand into the gift bag, he's positive he knows what it is, an excited noise escaping his mouth that makes both Minseok and Jongdae laugh as he pulls out the Supreme jacket he's been eyeing for weeks.

"Yes!" Baekhyun exclaims, already unzipping the front and throwing it on. "It's perfect. How did you know?"

"Oh, maybe because the second you saw it, you said, _I need this in my life_?" Minseok says with a roll of his eyes, but the smile tugging at his lips gives him away.

"How does it look?" Baekhyun demands, holding his arms out and twisting side to side. Minseok reaches out to fix the hood, smoothing it down properly and Jongdae replies, "Looks good. It suits you."

"Yeah?" Baekhyun says with a hopeful grin as he pulls himself up onto his knees to show off his coat even better.

Minseok pulls the hood up over his head and over his eyes, obscuring Baekhyun's vision for a few moments. "So cute," Minseok laughs as Baekhyun pushes the hood back off so he can see again, and Minseok reaches up to pat down Baekhyun's flyaway hair.

"Thank you," Baekhyun says, and Minseok smiles, slides his hand to the back of Baekhyun's neck, pulls him down for a soft press of their lips.

"Why don't I get any kisses?" Jongdae demands, smacking a hand on the table, the sound of it drawing Baekhyun and Minseok apart.

Baekhyun chuckles, sitting back down and wrapping his arms around Minseok again. "Well, you're all the way over there," he says.

"Maybe you should fix that," Minseok adds, and two seconds later, Jongdae does, rounding the table and tackling them to the floor. Baekhyun groans from the weight of them although his new jacket provides pretty good cushioning.

He hears Minseok's cute laugh, muffled by what must be Jongdae's lips, and even though he can't see, Baekhyun smiles, warm from the knowledge. He wraps his arms around Minseok, dips his fingers underneath the hem of his shirt to enjoy the way Minseok squirms against him, and slides his foot over the back of Jongdae's leg.

"How long are you guys planning on using me as a mattress?" Baekhyun asks after a few moments and Jongdae peers his head over Minseok's shoulder to gaze down at him.

"I don't know," he drawls. "You're pretty comfy."

"You're pretty heavy," Baekhyun throws back and Jongdae snorts. He makes no effort to move, though, and Baekhyun makes no effort to push either of them off of him. He's kind of warm like this, even if his tailbone is starting to ache from the weight.

"Hey," Jongdae says suddenly, as Minseok tangles his fingers with Baekhyun's and pulls them out from his shirt. "Do you wanna go outside?"

Twenty minutes later, they're walking through the wet snow toward the nearest park. The streets are much quieter than usual for New York, but there's still plenty of cars passing by, some couples on the streets holding hands as they shuffle past. Jongdae is practically kicking up snow with every excited step, and even Minseok, who hates the cold, has a bright smile on his face. He's bundled up as usual and Baekhyun can't resist but telling him how cute he looks every five minutes.

The snow has blanketed the grounds of the park. It's still snowing, gently filling in the footprints along the sidewalks as it continues to cascade down from the sky. It's beautiful, and Baekhyun stops to take a few photos, tugging his glove off with his teeth. He's halfway through taking a selfie when something smacks him hard against his back.

"What the fuck--" He whirls around to find Jongdae darting away, his gloved hands suspiciously littered with remnants of his snowball. "You fucking--"

He attacked again, this time by Minseok, who has thrown a snowball into his shoulder. Baekhyun gapes at them both, quickly shoves his phone back into his pocket and yanks his glove on again. "This is unfair!" he yells, crouching to pick up snow in his hands. It's the sticky, dense kind of snow that's perfect for snowball fights. "Two against one!"

"Guess you have to be quick!" Jongdae yells back, and then he's sending another ball at Baekhyun, who dodges just in time and throws the one in his hands back. It lands against Jongdae's leg and he barely reacts, already making another, and Baekhyun has to run from the ball Minseok is throwing at him next, watches it land in the ground a foot away instead.

Baekhyun manages to throw another to Minseok, hitting him square in the chest before ducking behind a nearby bench to catch his breath.

"You can't hide there forever!" Minseok says, throwing a snowball between his hands. "Come on out, Baekhyun."

"Nah, I think I'm good," Baekhyun says with a laugh. He packs a handful of snow into a ball, his palms already cold from the wet snow seeping through his gloves. If he'd known they were going to do this, he'd have brought along another pair. There's not much he can do about it now though, and he peers out over the bench to see where Minseok and Jongdae are.

He narrows his eyes. He can only see Minseok, standing where Baekhyun last saw him, still holding a snowball in his hands.

The sudden crunch of snow is Baekhyun's only warning before Jongdae smashes a handful of snow right into the back of Baekhyun's head. " _Fuck_ ," Baekhyun screeches as snow drips down the back of his neck and down his coat. He jerks up and flails, dropping his own snowball in favor of trying to stop himself from freezing at the sudden cold.

Jongdae and Minseok are cackling and Baekhyun should be mad, but he's mostly a little miffed he didn't see this coming. Besides, he's already formulating about ten different ways they can pay him back for this when they get home. He's read something about body heat being the best method to ward off the cold.

"I hate you both," he tells them anyway and Jongdae snorts against Minseok's shoulder. His face is flushed, probably a mix from the cold and his mirth at Baekhyun's expense, and Baekhyun wants to kiss him but Jongdae doesn't deserve it. Yet.

Minseok is grinning widely at him. "You should've been paying better attention," he teases.

"Like I said before, two against one is unfair!" Baekhyun says and stomps away before either of them can reply.

He hears them run after him, and braces himself for the inevitable tackle. He laughs when they collide into him, arms snaking around his waist, hooking around his elbow, a hand shoving into his pocket to hold his own. Baekhyun smiles, and all the lingering cold from the snow has melted away entirely from the heat of his boyfriends, the warmth of their smiles, the love in their eyes as he looks back at them.

"Hey," he says softly, "I love you guys."

The words slip out just like that, easily, quietly, honestly. He hasn't said them out loud before, even though he's thought them many, many times. Even though he's sure that they know, simply from the way he looks at them, the way he touches them, kisses them, smiles at them, holds their hands at every chance and demands their attention.

He doesn't take the words back. He does, however, slam a hand over his mouth as the words catch up to him, as it hits him, that he said them, groaning at his own stupidity and the timing. He wonders if he can maybe throw himself under a pile of snow before either of them react.

He doesn't get the chance. Jongdae is tightening his grip around Baekhyun's arm like he's sensed that he's ready to bolt and Minseok's arm around his waist squeezes comfortingly, reassuringly, like he knows Baekhyun's freaking out, a little. When Baekhyun looks between them, he finds that they're smiling, the soft affectionate smiles that, even now, over a year later, still makes his heart pound.

"Did you think we didn't know?" Jongdae says, breaking the silence. His smile is turning into a smirk now.

"Did you think we didn't love you back?" asks Minseok, raising a brow curiously at Baekhyun.

"Idiot," Jongdae says fondly, shaking his head.

"He's cute," Minseok says.

Baekhyun's face is burning hot. He could probably melt all the snow on the ground if he wanted. "I'm _right here_ ," he says, except it comes out like a petulant whine.

"So you are," Minseok laughs, and he reaches up to tap under Baekhyun's chin softly. As Baekhyun continues to pout, his smile widens and he taps Baekhyun's lower lip with his gloved finger, too. "We love you too, you know," he says, and all the air in Baekhyun's lungs rises up to his throat with his sharp inhale. Minseok hugs Baekhyun a little tighter, and adds, "Well, I mean, _I_ do. I can't speak for Jongdae. Who knows what he's thinking?"

"Hey!" Jongdae says loudly, smacking Minseok in the chest. "Don't listen to him," he tells Baekhyun as Minseok laughs. "Of course I love you." He tilts his head to the side, a little considering, and adds, "But you knew that already, didn't you?"

Baekhyun grins, laces fingers with Jongdae's that are still in his pocket. "Yeah," he says, because he did. He does. He's known, instinctively, for awhile now. He feels their love in every morning kiss and late night spent watching Iron Man for the hundredth time. He feels their love in the lunches they pack for him so he doesn't spend money on fast food again, and in the warmth of their hands against his skin when they're curled up in bed. He feels it in the texts they send when Baekhyun's on call that say nothing more than _we miss you_.

"It's nice to finally say it out loud though," Baekhyun admits, and Minseok and Jongdae share a look that's too fast for Baekhyun to understand. Then, before he can stop it, they're reaching up to pinch his cheeks and cooing at him.

Baekhyun sputters and bats their hands away, stumbling back, and finally breaking apart their huddled stance. "I take it back," he exclaims, even though it's a bold-faced lie and they all know it. "I don't like either of you!"

Minseok and Jongdae laugh as they chase after Baekhyun who's already heading toward the park entrance. They catch up to him there, and it's Jongdae who pulls Baekhyun into a kiss first, mouth soft against Baekhyun's, and Minseok comes right after, Baekhyun giggling happily against the press of his lips. He watches, beaming, as Minseok pulls Jongdae into a kiss afterward, short and sweet as the snow continues to fall around them.

"Let's go home," Baekhyun says when they pull apart. He wants to kiss them even more, wants to feel their hands on his body, wants to whisper _I love you_ into their skin, over and over and over again.

"Okay," Jongdae says. He takes Baekhyun's hand again, this time outside of his pocket, and swings them together a little, smiling. Minseok wraps an arm around Baekhyun's shoulders, and like this, together, they head home, and Baekhyun's never felt more content.

He's ready to spend the rest of Christmas together with them, ready to spend the last few days of the year with them. There's nothing he wants more than to have another year with Jongdae and Minseok by his side. That, Baekhyun thinks, is the best gift of all.

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. the working title for this was cbxmas. every xmas should be a cbxmas.
> 
> 2\. i wanted to post this before i head off for vacation so that's why it's a little early. i hope you enjoyed this! thank you so much for reading, as always. ❤
> 
> 3\. happy holidays to everyone! thank you so so much for all your comments and support this year. i look forward to writing more in 2018 that i hope you all will enjoy reading!
> 
> come say hi on [twitter](http://twitter.com/xingkais) | [ask.fm](http://ask.fm/koiyake) | [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/xingkais)


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